RV Industry 'Downsizes' to Keep Pace with Slow Economy and Rising Cost of Gas

Teardrop Trailers and Other Lightweight Campers Proliferate as RV Industry Scrambles to Provide Fuel-Efficient, Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to Large Travel Trailers and Motor Homes

CANTON, Ohio, June 9 -- The June 2008 issue of RV Business Magazine, the leading trade publication for the RV industry in America, recognizes the emerging role of lightweight tow able camper trailers in the RV industry. The recreational vehicle industry, traditionally slow to adopt these small, aerodynamic campers that can be pulled with virtually any vehicle with a hitch, has been compelled to expand their product lines to include products such as the Little Guy teardrop camper trailer and the Silver Shadow teardrop.

The uptake of these micro sized campers by RV dealers has historically been somewhat slow, says Chris Baum, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Little Guy Worldwide, headquartered in Canton, Ohio. "For years, the RV industry has been hesitant to carry a product that only retails for between $5,000 and $10,000. But the explosion in the ownership of small, more fuel-efficient cars in response to the escalating cost of gas has forced the recreational vehicle industry to take another look at selling a product with a broad-based appeal." Read more...

Castle Rock RV park expands to handle larger models

The Castle Rock RV Park & Campground near metro Denver is developing a new section to accommodate 200 recreational park trailers, also called park models.

The cabin-style trailers -- which are a relatively new trend in recreational accommodations -- will sell in the high $30,000s to roughly $80,000, with a monthly lease fee of $650, according to the RV park.

The park model trailer is movable resort cottage, generally about 400 square feet in size, designed for part-time use, according to the Recreational Park Travel Trailer Industry Association of Flagstaff, Ariz. Park models can look like East Coast cottages or Rocky Mountain log cabins on the outside, and include hardwood floors, lofts and bay windows on the inside. Prices generally start at around $30,000.

Castle Rock RV Park includes 370 acres and is located at 6527 S. Interstate 25, Exit 174, in Castle Rock. The park also has a new Tipi Village with Native American-style tepees that each sleep four people.

Other Colorado RV parks that accommodate park models include King's River Bend RV Park & Cabins in Montrose and Woodland RV Park in Woodland Park, according to The Colorado Vacation Directory.

News about Airstream Trailers

It’s all part of a vision that started with Becker’s exposure to philosopher/visionary/engineer R. Buckminster Fuller during Becker’s college years at Michigan State University in East Lansing. Fuller opened up a new world vision for Becker, who grew up in the Rogers Park neighborhood, and then moved to Wilmette at the age of 11 when his father, a real estate appraiser, found his talents in high demand by the insurance industry. Becker said he “fell in love” with Fuller’s ideas, such as: “Democracy does not function without enabling technology for the individual.”

He became a Fuller disciple, working with him intermittently between 1966 and 1982, and then went out into the world hoping to create Fuller’s vision of “future ecological villages.”

He set out to enable individuals through technology, and spent stints designing Airstream trailers in Toledo, Ohio; low-cost manufactured housing near Elkhart, Ind. and Chevrolet’s ill-fated Corvair in a GM facility in Warren, Mich. Becker claims what really did the Corvair in was not Ralph Nader’s book Unsafe at Any Speed, but rather the car’s potential fuel-economy capacity that disturbed the oil companies, who put pressure on GM executives. Learn more...

Olympia council considers RV parking ban (KPAX Missoula)

Associated Press - June 3, 2008 12:25 PM ET OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The Olympia City Council is considering a ban on RV parking on city streets.

As difficult as it is to swallow, the longer it takes to sell your RV, the more money that it is costing you. You are still making the monthly payments, and the actual value is going down every couple months, so you might get a few hundred or even a couple thousand dollars more by waiting, but if you made more in monthly payments, yo572u might have lost money. If you can price your RV reasonably accurate as compared to what they are selling for, you should be able to sell it fairly quickly. Advertise it on as many classified web sites as you can, have lots of pictures and help line up financing will all reduce the time it takes to sell your recreational vehicle.

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High diesel prices force some RV owners to cut back (Napa Valley Register)

For Laurie Potter, the breaking point came last week when she drove into Napa and found diesel selling for $5.25 a gallon. Her commitment to the RV lifestyle... crumbled.

Airstream Trailers

Motorhome

A common misconception with most new RV buyers is they rate the floor plan as the most important aspect in their RV purchase. It is estimated that over 90% of new RV buyers focus more on floor plans than anything else. With experienced or educated RV buyers it is estimated that over 90% focus on the chassis or frame, drive train, engine, suspension and exterior construction when selecting a particular brand. Bottom line, what's underneath your motor home, travel trailer or fifth wheel is the most important aspect and should take top priority in your decision process.

To get the most out of RVing you need to ask yourself some important questions. What are the things you enjoy doing most? If it's off-road pursuits, then you'll want to consider a toy hauler, which can hold your favorite toys like an ATV or motorcycle. If you enjoy sightseeing at state and national parks, a motor home might be the way to go. With a record number of RV communities and parks being built to accommodate the RV lifestyle a Class A or C motorhome may be the answer.

Some are predicting fewer sales this year because of the problems with the economy. The industry may see a 10% to 20% drop overall in RV sales, but this could be the BEST TIME to purchase an RV in my opinion. Most RV dealers will have high inventories and I expect many dealers will slash their prices to make sales.

Coachmen offers RV rebate to complement federal stimulus program

MIDDLEBURY, Ind. — Coachmen RV Group wants to help the federal tax rebate program stimulate the economy by offering its own rebate packages to stimulate sales of new RVs and help more Americans enjoy the many pleasures of RVing ... and see America!

May 14, 2008, Wall Street Journal: "The government's economic stimulus package was credited as being effective in stimulating the market ... say economists at Global Insight, a Waltham, Mass.,-based forecasting firm... They forecast continued growth in consumer spending, partly because of tax rebates and stimulus checks."

"In line with this government program, we are making the stimulus package even sweeter with our very own Coachmenomic Stimulus Package. We want to multiply the buying power of the government stimulus package by making it even more affordable to purchase a Coachmen RV," said Michael R. Terlep, president of Coachmen RV Group. "The government rebate combined with the rebates we are offering make it much easier for consumers to move forward with getting the RV of their dreams."

Coachmen is marketing the program as the "Coachmenomic Stimulus Program," a part of the "Vote for Pete Campaign." Pete is the name of Coachmen's iconic mascot, a spotted Dalmatian.

The rebates Coachmen is offering range from $250 on the very economically priced 2009 Spirit of America® travel trailer up to $2,000 on a 2009 Sportscoach® Class A diesel coach. And, the Coachmenomic rebates are multiplied on new 2007 and 2008 model year of select models in dealers' inventory. So for instance, the rebate would be $5,000 for a 2008 Sportscoach motorhome and $1,500 for a 2008 fifth wheel. Read more...